Absorption-type heat pump

Abstract

An absorption-type heat pump includes an evaporator 1, an absorber 7, a regenerator 12, and a condenser 17. In the evaporator 1, water 4 as a refrigerant is flash-evaporated through a flash evaporating device 2. The water vapor 6 from the evaporator 1 is absorbed into an absorbent consisting of an aqueous lithium bromide solution in the absorber 7, so that a heat carrier fluid 8 is heated by the heat of absorption evolved within the absorber. In the regenerator 12, the diluted absorbent 9 received from the absorber 7 is heated with a heating fluid 13, whereby the absorbed water content of the absorbent 9 is evaporated. The concentrated absorbent 14 resulting from the step of regeneration is returned to the absorber 7, while the water vapor 16 evolved in the regenerator 12 is introduced into the condenser 17. The heat carrier fluid 8, which has been heated in the absorber 7, is passed through the condenser 17, being further heated by the heat of condensation within the condenser 17.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An absorption-type heat pump comprising an evaporating unit for flash-evaporating a refrigerant supplied thereinto, an absorbing unit in which the refrigerant vapor received from the evaporating unit is absorbed into a liquid absorbent with the generation of heat to heat a heat carrier fluid, a regenerating unit for concentrating the diluted absorbent received from the absorbing unit by heating same with a heating fluid to evaporate the refrigerant content thereof so that the absorbent is reused in the absorbing unit, and a condensing unit condensing the refrigerant vapor received thereinto from the regenerating unit, the liquid phase refrigerant collected in the evaporating unit from the condensing unit being passed through a closed passage to the evaporating unit for repeated flash evaporation, the closed passage heating the liquid phase refrigerant in heat exchange. 
     
     
       2. A heat pump as set forth in claim 11 wherein the heat carrier fluid, after having left the absorbing unit, is passed through the condensing unit so that it is reheated by the heat of condensation evolved therein. 
     
     
       3. A heat pump as set forth in claim 2 wherein the heat carrier fluid secondarily heated in the condensing unit is supplied to a district or central heating system. 
     
     
       4. An absorption-type heat pump comprising an evaporating unit for flash-evaporating a refrigerant supplied thereinto, an absorbing unit in which the refrigerant vapor received from the evaporating unit is absorbed into a liquid absorbent with the generation of heat to heat a heat carrier fluid, a regenerating unit for concentrating the diluted absorbent received from the absorbing unit by heating same with a heating fluid to evaporate the refrigerant content thereof so that the absorbent is reused in the absorbing unit, and a condensing unit for condensing the refrigerant vapor received thereinto from the regenerating unit, the condensed liquid phase refrigerant in the condensing unit being discharged therefrom. 
     
     
       5. A heat pump as set forth in claim 4 wherein the refrigerant vapor received from the regenerating unit is condensed in the condensing unit by direct contact with a liquid of the same substance introduced thereinto by spraying. 
     
     
       6. A heat pump as set forth in claim 5 wherein the liquid phase refrigerant collected in the condensing unit is passed in a closed passage through an indirect cooler and returned to the condensing unit for the condensation of the refrigerant vapor. 
     
     
       7. A heat pump as set forth in claim 6 wherein the indirect cooler is an air-cooled heat exchanger. 
     
     
       8. A heat pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein the diluted absorbent supplied from the absorbing unit to the regenerating unit and the concentrated absorbent supplied from the latter unit to the former unit are heat exchanged in a heat exchanger. 
     
     
       9. A heat pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein the refrigerant is a water, and the absorbent is an aqueous lithium bromide solution. 
     
     
       10. A heat pump as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diluted absorbent supplied from the absorbing unit to the regenerating unit and the concentrated absorbent supplied from the latter unit to the former unit are heat exchanged in a heat exchanger. 
     
     
       11. A heat pump as set forth in claim 4 wherein the refrigerant is a water, and the absorbent in an aqueous lithium bromide solution.